A Battle 'Royal' Is Looming.

The Duke of Cumberland spent more than four weeks in Aberdeen, where amongst other things, he set out to improve his infantry's proficiency in the use of the bayonet against the Highlanders, whose supremacy with broadsword and targe had been a decisive factor in the Jacobite victories until now. He left Aberdeen on 8 April, 1746 and marched to Cullen by the 11 April via Turriff and Banff. At Cullen he was joined by Lord Albemarle with the advanced guard. Cumberland was now in command of a highly trained force of 9,000 men, well fed and well equipped, and following them closely along the coast were ships of the Royal Navy, warships, transport and supply ships. This was a formidable government force, and at Cullen, Cumberland was only twelve miles from a Jacobite force of 2,500 men commanded by the Duke of Perth and his brother, Lord John Drummond and which was positioned on the far side of the River Spey. Important for the Jacobites to hold, Cumberland expected them to make a stand, but for some reason the 'Army of the Spey' had retreated and allowed the Hanoverian forces to continue to advance. This was a grave error which would have an important outcome in the days to come. Cumberland's army crossed the Spey, and by 14 April they had reached Nairn, where the Duke of Perth's rearguard were just leaving as the Duke of Kingston's Horse and the Campbells were entering from the other side of town. There was a running fight in which the Jacobites suffered some casualties. Charles now knew that Cumberland had crossed the Spey, and on the 14 April he rode out of Inverness at the head of his troops with pipers playing and colours flying to set his headquarters at nearby Culloden. His army began to strengthen with the addition of Lord George Murray's detachment, Locheil and his Camerons arriving from Achnacarry, some of Glengarry's men back from Sutherland and the the Duke of Perth returned with the 'Army of the Spey', a title surely now redundant. The Jacobite army camped in the grounds of Culloden House or on the moor nearby. With Cumberland only ten miles away, a battle now seemed certain, and Charles in his wisdom had chosen Culloden and Drummossie Moor for the encounter. Lord George Murray had been accused (unfairly) of previously keeping his Athollmen out of harm's way in earlier battles, and he now insisted that they should be placed on the right wing of the line. This outraged the Macdonalds, who since the time of King Robert the Bruce, had regarded the right of the line as theirs. The Prince agreed to give the right of the line to Lord George, as he knew that the latter resented not being consulted on the choice of ground. These jealousies and mistrust between the Jacobite officers would have a further bearing on the outcome of events. Lord George Murray rode out to survey the proposed site of battle. The moors of Culloden and Drummossie were fairly flat moorland, bounded on the east by the River Nairn and hills rising beyond the river. To Lord George it was apparent that this would be the ideal site for regular troops, supported by cavalry and cannon, ideal for the well drilled, well equipped army of Cumberland now only a few miles away. The Highlanders favoured hilly ground for their historic charge with broadsword and targe. As it stood, the Highlanders would be at a great disadvantage. Lord George sent two of his officers to make a reconnaissance of the higher ground beyond the river. They reported back that the ground there was more suitable for the Highlanders's way of fighting, where heavy casualties could have been inflicted on the government army. This argument was probably dismissed by O'Sullivan, and the battle would be where the Prince had decided, on Culloden Moor. Lord George Murray later wrote that "There never could be more improper ground for the Highlanders". One must ask why Murray and other senior Jacobites did not overide the Prince and O'Sullivan - they had done so before. Lord George dismissed O'Sullivan when he said that the latter "had forty-eight hours to display his skill and did it accordingly". However, news came through that Cumberland would not engage in battle that day, but would remain where he was in order that he and his troops might celebrate his 25th birthday which happened to fall on 15 April. Battle might come after the celebrations - a reversal of the natural order of things.

Lord Loudoun. An Historical Note.

JOHN CAMPBELL, 4th EARL OF LOUDOUN(Loudoun in East Ayrshire) was born in 1705 (two years before the Act of Union of Scotland and England) and lived to the age of 76. He became Lord Loudoun on the death of his father. As a Campbell he was a supporter of the House of Hanover, and during the Jacobite Rising of 1745, he raised a regiment of twelve companies for the Government, with Loudoun as colonel, and John Campbell (later 5th Duke of Argyll) as lieutenant-colonel. At the Battle of Prestonpans, three of his companies were captured, 1n what was a great victory for the Jacobite army, at the outset of their campaign. Later, in 1746, he was based at Inverness with eight companies, and was involved in the 'Rout of Moy' (qv), where his 1500 men were so terrified by five local lads that Loudoun's men retreated in haste back to Inverness. This disgraceful event did not prevent future promotions for Loudoun in the British Army. He served as C-in-C of the British forces in North America during the Seven Years War, was later in Portugal fighting against the Spanish, and finally he was promoted to General, and saw out his days as Governor of Edinburgh Casle (from 1763), when peace had returned to the realm. Such a sinecure for a notable old soldier ! A HAPPY REUNION. Since the Rout at Moy, Lord Loudoun and the scattered remnants of his army pushed north across the Cromarty and Dornoch Firths pursued by Lord Cromarty (a Mackenzie kinsman) with a substantial force of men, but Loudoun was able to continually employ evasive action and avoid all contact with his pursuers. Lord Cromarty was 'doing no good, and the men had not much confidence in him'. Lord George Murray took over the command of this army, aided by the Duke of Perth. On landing on the other side of the firth, they encountered no opposition, and Lord Loudoun and Forbes, the Lord President had again managed to escape. But some others did not escape. One of these was the 'Laird of Macintosh' who was a captain in Lord Loudoun's regiment who 'surrendered himself prisoner' with a great many men under his command. The 'Laird of Macintosh' was none other than Aeneas (Angus) Macintosh, the husband of Colonel Anne, the 'Heroine of Moy'. Prince Charles gleefully instructed that he be handed over to his wife at Moy, where he would be safe and well treated. On being greeted by Anne with the words "Your servant, Captain", it was said that, just as succinctly, Macintosh replied "Your servant, Colonel".

Letter to Mary Grant. The Rout of Moy.

Dear Mary, As you are aware, Inverness has not escaped the vicissitudes of the present troubles. You have had Hanovarian and Jacobite armies billeted in your midst, and more recently government forces under the command of Lord Loudon have occupied Inverness. On 15 February, Charles's force was just eight miles south of Inverness, and the army was quartered near the villages of Moy and Aviemore. On the next evening Charles visited Moy Hall, where he was welcomed by the now famous Colonel Anne Mackintosh, whose husband was on duty with the government forces. She was proud to play host to Prince Charles and provided 'a plentiful and genteel' supper for all of her seventy-five guests. News of Charles's whereabouts reached Lord Loudoun, who realised that fame and £30,000 could be won with a single blow. That night he left Inverness with some 1500 men to take the Prince by surprise at Moy. The Dowager Lady Macintosh, who like her daughter-in-law, Colonel Anne, was a true Jacobite. She lived in Inverness and heard of Loudoun's plan. She called on one of her clansmen, the 15 year old Lauchlan Macintosh, to set out for Moy to appraise the Prince of the grave danger which beset him. The Prince was wakened and left the castle with his bonnet on top of his nightcap and his shoes half-on. He and some of his men made their way down to the lochside. Meantime Colonel Anne was seen to be running through the vennels in her petticoat, shouting about the Prince's safety, 'running about in her shift like a madwoman', observed the ubiquitous Mr O'Sullivan. She then sent the blacksmith of Moy, one Donald Fraser, and four others to take up position on the roadside between Inverness and Moy to await the approach of Lord Loudon's men. When Loudoun's troops appeared, 'the Blacksmith' fired his pistol, followed by shots from the other four men and then all of them gave out loudly with the war cries of the Camerons,Macdonalds Macintoshes and those of other clans. This caused the greatest of panic in Lord Loudoun's vast army, and instantly they beat a retreat and returned to Inverness, imagining that the whole Jacobite army 'to be at their heels'. Colonel Anne Macintosh was now revered as "The Heroine" and the event came to be known as the 'ROUT OF MOY'. Loudoun's reasons or excuses for his army's disgraceful behaviour were the usual ones of surprise, panic and mass desertions. The Rout of Moy so demoralised Lord Loudoun's men that more than 200 troops deserted and the decision was taken by Loudoun to withdraw with his men to 'friendly' Ross and Cromarty to await the arrival of Cumberland's large army. Meanwhile Inverness fell to Charles's army without a shot being fired. On 20 February the garrison of the castle capitulated, after which the castle was entirely destroyed. Mary, as a resident of the 'dirty wee town' you will know about the events I have just related. Cumberland was exasperated and bewildered to hear how 1500 Hanovarian soldiers were routed by five men at Moy. Incomprehensible is a word Cumberland might use, but even that is inadequate to explain the lamentable cowardice of Loudoun and his troops. THE CHEVALIER JOHNSTONE related this sad story to me, which I share with you, Mary. "Monsieur Macdonald of Scothouse came to pass the day with me. He was a man of about forty years of age, endowed with a fine figure and a prepossessing address, joined to that, an agreeable exterior. He had all the qualities of soul which ordinarily distinguish the honourable and gallant man - brave, polite, obliging, of fine spirit and sound judgement......Although I had not known him long, I formed with him the closest friendship, despite the disparity in our ages......He was naturally of a gay disposition, but I perceived his melancholy on entering my dwelling." His eyes bathed in tears, M. Macdonald explained that he would be part of the detachment which that evening would attack Lord Loudon's army. His adorable son was, he said, an officer in one of Loudon's regiments, a position he had been fortunate to obtain for his boy, "not being able to foresee the descent of Prince Charles Edward into Scotland." It was common at that time for the sons of gentlemen to seek a commmission in the army of Great Britain. The greatest fear he had as a father was that during the affray, he might accidentally shoot dead his son. On the other hand he might be able to save his life by going on this detachment, " If I do not march, some other may kill him." The next evening The Chevalier heard a great knocking at the door. "There was the good father holding a young man by the hand, a lad of a jolly figure, tears in his eyes, but still sparkling with joy. Macdonald had taken his son prisoner, "and when I had hold of him he embraced me fervently, not regarding the others who were present." The Chevalier, Monsieur Macdonald and his 'prisoner' son, celebrated this wonderful outcome with supper in the chambers of the Chevalier de James Johnstone ( from Edinburgh ).

Cumberland In Pursuit.

With the Jacobite army now withdrawing north towards the Highlands, the Duke of Cumberland arrived in Edinburgh, staying at Holyroodhouse, where he called a council of war, and where it was decided to march against the 'rebels' the very next morning. The army left Edinburgh on 31 January, with the Duke travelling in a state coach drawn by twelve horses, all provided by the sycophant Earl of Hopetoun. They spent the night in the ancient Stuart Palace of Linlithgow, where Mary Queen of Scots had been born. The palace, by accident or design, went on fire, and only the walls survived. Cumberland was anxious, as he put it, for 'an opportunity of finishing this affair at once' and continued to pursue the Jacobites to Falkirk and Stirling, barely twenty-four hours behind Charles. Cumberland wanted to catch up with the Jacobite army before they reached the Highlands, 'before they got into their holes and hiding-places, where it will be impossible to follow them in a body'. (Letter to the Duke of Newcastle, Feb.2). Finally Cumberland and his army reached Perth on the 6 February. On the way there, they marched through the Strathallan estates of the Jacobite, Lord James Drummond, the Duke of Perth, where Cumberland saw fit to 'let the soldiers a little loose, with proper precautions, that they might have some sweet meats with all their fatigues'. Cumberland held Lady Perth and her daughter captive in their home, Drummond Castle, and demanded that she write to her Jacobite husband to release all government prisoners held by the enemy, under threat of burning the castle to the ground. Writing again to the Duke of Newcastle (5 Feb.) his final words were that ' I thought it a pity to let this troublesome old woman escape without making some use of her'. He had given up hope of an immediate engagement with the Jacobite army, and spent the next two weeks in Perth. He sent out raiding parties to collect stores and rations in the hinterland, and to harrass the ordinary people, all of whom he believed to be Jacobite supporters. He prepared for the next phase of his campaign. His army was greatly reinforced by the arrival at Leith of the 4,500 German force under Prince Frederick of Hesse. At the same time a large contingent of Argyll Militia reached Perth under the command of Major-General John Campbell of Mamore. They were sent to the West Highlands to support Lord Glenorchy, whose father, Lord Breadalbane, had once been a Jacobite. Cumberland could not get his head round the fact that the Campbells, being Gaelic-speaking Highlanders could be good Whigs and supporters of King George. He disliked the Scots in general and the Highlanders in particular, whom, to a man, he stated were privatedly Jacobite supporters who often 'aided the rebels'. On 15 February Cumberland returned briefly to Edinburgh for a council of war at the house of Lord Milton, the Lord Justice-Clerk. Asked their opinion, all of Cumberland's generals said that as far as they could see, the war was at an end. The remaining rebels could be flushed from their strongholds when spring weather returned. When pressed for his opinion, Lord Milton said that, from his knowledge of the Highlanders, the rebellion was by no means over. Cumberland said that he would therefore press on to end this campaign and prevent any future outbreaks by rebel forces. He sent three batallions of foot to Coupar-Angus, a regiment of dragoons to Dundee and left the Scots Fusiliers behind to protect Perth. On 20 February he set out with his main force for Aberdeen arriving there near the end of the month. At this time he sent a despatch to London , calling on Parliament to pass a short act which would make it easier for him to deal with the rebels in a manner which they deserved. He wrote "As yet, I have only taken up Gentlemen and yet all the jails are full, whilst the common people I pick up every day must remain unpunished for want of being unable to try such a number. So, they will rebel again when someone comes to lead them." Cumberland was wanting nothing less than the power of life or death over his Jacobite enemies.

Jacobites Withdraw to the Highlands.

The Jacobites were unsure whether Falkirk really was a victory; some thought it was a battle half finished, that they should have pursued Hawley's demoralised army "with the rapidity of a torrent" according to the Chevalier Johnstone. In the end they decided to continue the siege of Stirling Castle, the Prince being the only one having any faith in the fatuous Monsieur Mirabelle. He wasted another ten days with no effect on the castle, ten days which tied up the whole Jacobite army, according to old General Blakeny. Meanwhile, Charles returned to Bannockburn House to be with the lovely Clementina. On 29 January, Lord George and the principal clan chiefs presented another memorandum to the Prince, no more acceptable to Charles than its predecessors. Basically, it told of widespread desertions in the Jacobite army, especially since Falkirk, the earlier loss and dumping of artillery, and saying that Charles' army was not in a fit state to meet the enemy. They recommended that they withdraw to the Highlands, where they could continue the war in their own territory, in country suited to their style of fighting. On receiving the memorandum the Prince was more than dismayed. He 'struck his head against the wall till he staggered, and exclaimed most violently against Lord George Murray'.(according to Hay of Restalrig). In the end Charles had to comply with the wishes of the majority. The retreat of the Highland army would begin on 1 February, but now came the news that the Duke of Cumberland and most of his large army had reached Linlithgow, not that far away. On the evening of 31 January Lord George and the clan regiments fell back on Bannockburn. Leaving a small cavalry unit at Falkirk to watch the enemy, and some troops to remain at Stirling, it was agreed that the Prince's army would rendezvous in a field just outside Stirling at nine that next morning. That morning, Lord George arrived at the appointed place to find not a soul there. The orders had been altered, or more probably disregarded by Charles and O'Sullivan. There was complete confusion as the Highlanders, in no order at all, streamed westwards in small groups. 'They left cannon and their carts upon the roads behind them'. Lord George was bitter and very angry and nothing could stop him from bursting in on the Prince at dinner 'after the most disrespectfull and impertinent manner', according to O'Sullivan. Lord George stated that 'it was a most shamefull and cowardly flight, Yet they were a parcel of villains who had advised him (The Prince) to it'. The fragmented Jacobite army headed north, some going to Doune and Dunblane, the Highland army marching to Crieff, while the rest of the army reached Perth. The Prince held a review of the army, and was able to establish that not more than 1,000 soldiers had deserted. A council of war was held that night in Crieff, and the atmosphere in that room was explosive in the extreme. Charles stated that 1,000 deserters was hardly a reason for a retreat, while Lord George was no less enraged by the total disruption of his plans for an orderly withdrawal. Mutual recrimination followed with even hints of treachery.'There never had been such heats and animosities as at that meeting'. Despite all of the ill-feeling, it was decided that the cavalry and the Lowland regiments march to Inverness along the coast (via Montrose and Aberdeen) under Lord George Murray, and the Prince with the clans would take the direct route to the Highlands. On 4 February both parts of the army set out for Inverness. Leaving Crieff on 4 February, the Prince spent two nights at Castle Menzies, reaching Blair Atholl on the 6th, where he stayed with Duke William until the 10th, 'hunting and hawking' according to information relayed to Cumberland. From Blair, Charles' army continued their march to Dalnacardoch, where the Prince stayed for two more nights, but his main army marched on to Ruthven, near Inverness. It was now the 12 February. By 19 February the Prince had taken over Culloden House, five miles from Inverness. This was the home of Duncan Forbes, Lord President of the Court of Session, an important government official who had vacated his home the day before, and left hurriely with Lord Louden. The Prince was joined two days later by Lord George Murray and his brother, Duke William of Atholl. Lord George related that his coastal march by way of Montrose and Aberdeen had been very difficult due to 'a vast storm of snow', making progress difficult, especially for the cavalry. It was not until 21 February that they finally reached Inverness.

Disgrace and Vexation.

The Jacobites losses at Falkirk had been 'small'(50 killed) while Hawley's losses had been much heavier, 20 or more officers killed and 'several hundred' other ranks. During the following two days, 'several hundred' more English prisoners were rounded up. When General Hawley reached Linlithgow, his mood was of great anger at the 'cowardice' of some section of his army. He had the unenviable task of writing a letter of explanation to his patron, HRH. The Duke of Cumberland, who had placed so much faith in him. "Sir, my heart is broke. I can't say why we are quite beat today.........We had enough to beat them for we had 2,000 men more than they. But suche scandalous cowardice I never saw before. The whole second line of foot ran away without firing a shot. Pardon me sir, your most unhappy, but most faithfull and dutifull your Royal Highness has. H. Hawley." To raise the morale and spirits of the army, he had thirty-one of Hamilton's Dragoons hanged for desertion, and thirty-two foot soldiers shot for cowardice. Executions, Hawley believed it was the best way 'pour encourager les autres'. Then there was the case of the poor Captain Archibald Cunningham of the Royal Artilley who had failed so badly during the battle. He was arrested, and after a failed suicide attempt, he was court martialled and sentenced to be cashiered 'with infamy'. This was a painful proceedure which involved having his sword broken over his head, his sash cut in pieces and thrown in his face and finally 'a kick on the posteriors' administered by a member of the Provost Martial's Office. After the news of the Jacobite's retreat from Derby, there had been great optimism in the capital, but now, with a retreating army defeating a large government force at Falkirk, there was now only consternation. When the news of the defeat was received at a gathering in St.James's Palace, there was the deepest gloom on all the faces, except that of Sir John Cope, who seemed quite cheerful. Hawley was no longer Commander-in-Chief, and it was now felt in London that only one man was capable of restoring the morale of Government forces in Scotland, HRH. the Duke of Cumberland, who arrived in Edinburgh on the 30 January to assume overall command. Meanwhile the Government forces received substantial reinforcements - a fresh artillery train with a complement of regular gunners, Campbells Royal Scots Fusiliers, Sempill's 25th Regiment and three squadrons of Lord Mark Ker's Dragoons. Further reinforcements were expected - Bligh's Regiment of Foot and between 4,000 and 5,000 German mercenaries from Hesse ie. the Hessians. On 8 February Cumberland's brother-in-law, Prince Frederick of Hesse landed at Leith with his Hessians. His 'Serene Highness' received various gun salutes from ships on the Forth, and from the garrison at Edinburgh Castle. He did the social rounds of the city being invited to balls, concerts and assemblies. " The Germans, both men and horses, looked well" and it took three or four days to land them. Hessian mercenaries had been employed by the British government 50 years earlier in the First Jacobite Rising (1715).

A Letter To Mary Grant. Persons and Places.

Dear Mary, We hope that you are in rude health, and that the Inverness Courant continues to prosper. We hope that our reports are reaching you safely, as we are spending a pretty penny on sending them by courier. I'm sure that you will see us recompensed for the expensive express mail that is regularly delivered to you, and which makes the Courant the ' best informed newspaper in Great Britain'. Despite our rash promise at the outset, we had no idea that things could be so expensive on Tir Mor (Gael. mainland). Here are a few items for your delectation which you might print as they stand, or incorporate in some existing articles. 1. JEANIE( JENNY )CAMERON. This lady was born in Glendessary in Knoydart in 1695 and sent to school in Edinburgh. At the age of 16 she was caught up in a sexual scandal and sent to France for a convent education but the nuns found her difficult to handle. She returned to Glendessary on her father's death. She was a fervent Jacobite and raised 250 local men for Charles Stuart's cause. She was present at the raising of the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan, and was described at the time (she was aged 50) as a buxom, middle-aged lady and widely rumoured to be the Prince's mistress. She followed the Jacobite army in her horse-drawn carriage, and once carried with her the Prince (disguised as a women) at Kendal during the army's retreat. 2. CALLENDAR HOUSE. This house, just outside Falkirk, was the seat of Lord Kilmarnock, who commanded one of the Prince's troop of cavalry, and whose attractive wife, the Countess, was an ardent Jacobite herself. It was her misfortune that in the days before and during the Battle of Falkirk, she was compelled to entertain the enemy general, General Hawley, and surprisingly she did so with reasonably good grace. Hawley rode out to review his troops and do a reconnaissance of a possible battle site, when a young officer of the Glasgow Militia told the General that he had heard tnat some officers had seen the enemy moving on the Torwood. The Glasgow officer said that "although, I saw nothing, neither did Mr. Hawley." Convinced that he had done a recce of the area, Hawley was happy to return to Callendar House, convinced that an attack was unlikely. He would take tea with the lovely Countess. Later that morning, Hawley's troops saw some movement of the Prince's army which later withdrew again to Plean. Hawley's army stood down and went in search of their mid-day meal, which was not easy to find. About one o'clock, two officers of the Old Buffs climbed a tree, and using a telescope could clearly see that the main Highland army were moving rapidly to the south of the Torwood. Colonel Howard, commanding the Old Buffs, galloped off to Callendar House to relay this disturbing news to Hawley, who was still unwilling to believe an attack was in the offing. Nothing would disturb him from partaking of the lavish repast now being offered by the charming Lady Kilmarnock. The only thing he told Colonel Howard was that his troops " should put on their equipment, without however standing to arms." Meanwhile he was left alone to enjoy his meal in his charming hostess's company. It was only after a desperate message to Hawley, did the General leave the Countess and Callendar House to return to the fray. He arrived on the scene at a gallop with no hat and " the appearance of one who had left an agreeable table." Lady Kilmarnock had used all her womanly wiles in an attept to delay the English General. 3. BANNOCKBURN HOUSE. Before he embarked on the siege of Stirling, Charles marched on 3 January 1746 to Bannockburn, about three miles from Stirling where his 9,000 strong army was assembling. The Prince stayed three days at Bannockburn House, the guest of Sir Hugh Paterson, a loyal Jacobite, where he met Sir Hugh's niece, Clementina Walkinshaw a handsome girl of twenty-three, named after the Prince's own mother. On the 19 January, when the clan regiments moved to Falkirk, the Prince once again took up residence at Bannockburn House in the pleasing company of the handsome Clementina. It was she who ministered to the Prince, who was told to stay in bed with 'a feverish cold'. The Prince was sufficiently taken with her to neglect his immediate military duties, and, feeling a little guilty, made some lame excuse to the upright Lord George Murray on the 23 January. Lord Elcho asserted that the star struck couple were indeed lovers. So, here we had two Commanders-in-Chief of opposing armies, General Hawley and HRH Prince Charles, only six miles apart, being cosseted and comforted by two fine ladies. One can appreciate their reluctance to rejoin the fray. 4. The final story is told by the Chevalier James de Johnstone in his own words. It is a cautionary tale of greed and despair. During the rout of the English cavalry at Falkirk, "The English in their flight made a prisoner in a very singular way. A Mr. Macdonald, a major of the Glengarry Regiment, having killed and pulled an English officer from his horse, took possession of this beautiful animal, and immediately mounted it. When the English cavalry took flight, the horse ran off with the unfortunate Macdonald, in spite of all his efforts to restrain him, and he never stopped till he was at the head of the regiment, of which, to all appearances, his master had been the commandant. One can imagine the miserable and laughable figure the poor Macdonald made, seeing himself thus the victim of his ambition for a fine horse. This cost him his his life on one of Hawley's scaffolds." One can not be sure of the sympathy or otherwise of the Chevalier for Major Macdonald. 5. COLONEL ANNE. In Inverness-shire, the Macintoshes were mostly Jacobite in sympathy, but strangely they lacked a leader, because their chief Angus had 'signed up with the other side' before Charles Stuart arrived in Scotland. Angus had decided to accept a commission in the government regiment, the Black Watch at 'half a guinea a day and half a guinea the morn'. Into the breach stepped Angus's handsome and lively young wife, Anne, herself a fervent Jacobite. Her dress was of Macintosh tartan trimmed with lace and with a blue bonnet on her head and a pair of pistols at her saddle-bow. 'Colonel Anne' rode far and wide recruiting people for the Prince, enough to make up a battalion, which joined with the force of of Lord Lewis Gordon as they marched south to Perth at the end of December 1745. Lady Anne won herself lasting fame in the annals of the Jacobite Rising.

Battle Is Joined On Falkirk Muir.

On the 15 January,1746, the opposing armies formed battle lines on Falkirk Hill. We quote from Lord Elcho's Memoirs. " The Prince's army consisted of three lines drawn up in battle order. The clans made the first line, the Lowland foot the second and Lord John Drummond formed the third line of the Prince's army. The whole army consisted of 6,000 foot and 360 horse. General Hawley's army consisted of 12 battalion of foot, making about 6,000 men, three regiments of horse (ie.six squadrons of dragoons),900 men, 1500 Glasgow and Paisley malitia and 1,000 Highlanders under a Campbell colonel, fighting for the government side. There were in all about 9,400 men commanded by Lt. General Hawley, Major General Huske and Brigadeers General Cholmondely and Mordaunt.. The Prince commanded the Corps de Reserve of his army, Lord George Murray the right wing and Lord John Drummond the left." The English were very surprised to see the Highlanders appear over the summit of Falkirk Hill. "General Hawley arranged his order of battle in two lines, being three regiments of infantry with his cavalry placed before his infantry, to the left of his first line." Because of the nature of the terrain, the opposing lines of the armies were not as one would expect, right wing of one army opposite the left of the other, left wing opposite right wing etc.. As such, they found a wing of their battle line directly opposite cavalry at the centre of the enemy line. There was much confusion, and some officers were not sure of their command or what to do. "The Engish commenced the attack by a corps of cavalry of 100 men, who advanced quite safely against the right of our army, and did not stop till about the distance of about twenty paces from our first line, on purpose to await our fire," says the Chevalier de Johnstone. " The Highlanders advanced slowly and as they were trained to wait 'till about touching muzzles' and at the moment the cavalry halted, they let go their discharge which brought down to ground about twenty four men, every one aimed at a horseman." One of those killed was the officer in charge of the cavalry who had led from the front. The English cavalry managed to regroup and rushed at the Highlanders at a great trot, driving all before them, and trampling the Highlanders under the horses' feet. In a unique and remarkable tactic, the Highlanders lay flat on their backs on the ground, and with their dirks pointing up, they thrust them into the horses' bellies. Others seized the horsemen by their clothing, pulling them down and dispatching them with their dirks or pistols. In this melee there was no room to wield their claymores. In time, the English cavalry broke ranks and were forced to retreat, but as usual, the Highlanders pursued the fleeing horsemen with sabre strokes, keeping up with the horses at speed. The English cavalry rushed through their own infantry positioned behind them on the battlefield. There the cavalry fell into disorder, and dragged their army along wth them in this rout. The Chevalier, an expert on ancient and modern military theory, says in one of his many pronouncements that " The battle of Falkirk confirms me in my opinion that it is a very bad disposition to place cavalry in front of infantry." As night fell, the English army entered Falkirk and many fires were lit throughout their camp. The enemy had retired, and we were left with the feeling that our victory was far from complete and that today's battle had advanced us nothing. The Jacobites had no reason to believe that they had lost the battle since the English army had left the field. The opinion in the Prince's camp was that the battle was indecisive, mainly caused by the disorder which had spread through their ranks. The Highlanders were in the greatest confusion, with all their corps intermingled, and in the darkness which had fallen, many did not know whether they had won or lost until the next morning. Lord Elcho says that "General Hawley's army had between 500 and 600 killed and 600 taken prisoners, few upon the field. Among the slain were 30 officers. They lost seven piece of cannon which were never fired, three standards and several colours and all their camp and baggage. The Prince's army had about fifty killed and sixty wounded." This, in some small way, resembled the outcome of the Battle of Killiecranckie during the First Jacobite Rising of 1689 for which was penned the song "Some say that we won, and some say that they won, And some say that nane won at a' "

Battle of Falkirk Looms Large.

While the Highlanders wasted their time with the 'siege'of Stirling Castle, the Government forces were being completely reorganised by the Duke of Cumberland. Cumberland had returned to London from Carlisle to confront the supposed threat of a French invasion, and in place of the aged Marshal Wade who had retired, Cumberland's replacement was Lieutenant-General Henry Hawley, reputedly a bastard son of George I. Hawley was known to be brutal and possibly a psychopath. Hawley's brigade-major was James Wolfe, who would later command the English armies in Canada against the French. Wolfe had this to say about Hawley. "The troops dread his severity, hate the man and hold his military knowledge in contempt." Walpole wrote that "Frequent and sudden executions are Hawley's rare passion." Hawley's army was composed of the best troops of the Duke of Cumberland and Marshal Wade, and numbered in the region of 8,000 men. As it was thought likely that Charles would again attempt to take Edinburgh, Hawley began moving his army north from Newcastle, an army which now included two infantry battalions and three regiments of cavalry (Ligonier's, Hamilton's and Cobham's Dragoons.) At the end of December, 1745, ten regular infantry battalions, most recently returned from Flanders, were dispatched to Edinburgh and arrived there by 10 January, 1746. With the regulars already in Edinburgh, the city now played host to 12 infantry battalions,and three militia units, the Edinburgh Volunteers, the Yorkshire Blues and Lord Home's 'Glasgow Regiment of Enthusiasts'. On his arrival in Edinburgh on 6 January, Hawley, true to form, had gallows erected in the Grassmarket, and on the roadside at Leith, "executions being a rare passion of Hawley." On 13 January, Major-General Huske, Hawley's second-in-command, set out westwards from Edinburgh with five regular infantry battalions, Hamilton's and Ligonier's Dragoons and some militia. Meanwhile, part of the Jacobite army under the Prince's command were stationed near Bannockburn, while the remainder of five clan regiments and part of the cavalry were under Lord George Murray near Falkirk, about ten miles east of the Prince's army. At the same time, some cavalry under Lord Elcho patrolled the roads leading to Edinburgh. Elcho had reported that government forces were growing by the hour, and that " there was a very large body of horse and foot advancing towards them." Lord George Murray crossed the River Avon at a bridge just to the west of Linlithgow, waiting here to attack the English army " when a half should pass the bridge", but "none of them passed it." The Hanoverians preferred to remain drawn up on the other side," with very abusive language passing betwixt both sides." Lord George realised that a major battle was in the offing, and seeing no advantage in engaging in some minor skirmish, he ordered his troops to return to Falkirk. The Highland army began their advance after midday on the 17 January and their first objective, it was decided, should be the Hill of Falkirk, a steep ridge on moorland to the south west of the town. They marched in two columns, the left-hand column under Lord George Murray and the right-hand commanded by the Prince. Barely had the army marched half a mile when John William O'Sullivan came riding over to Lord George to say that he and the Prince had decided to delay action until night. Lord George continued to ride, explaining all the time to O'Sullivan why now was the time. I think O'Sullivan was 'right annoyed' at this reception. Lord George wrote that "I did not halt and O'Sullivan went back to His Royal Highness." The Chevalier Johnstone takes up the story. "By using side roads and a grand detour, the Jacobite army were able to conceal from the English the knowledge of our march." They reached the top of Falkirk Hill, and much to the surprise of General Hawley whose troops were just over on the other side of the hill. The Chevalier Johnstone said that " a strong wind prevailed with a great rain full in the face, which the Highlanders, by their position, had it to their backs, while it blew full in the faces of the English, and the rain pelting in their eyes blinded them; they had besides this the inconvenience of the smoke of our firing, and the rain pouring into the priming pans, the half of their muskets would not give fire." The English endeavoured to change position to gain the advantage of the wind, but the Prince by his manouevering was able to preserve that advantage. The Battle of Falkirk was about to begin in earnest, one in which many lives were sacrificed, a battle marked by disorder and one where outright victory would be difficult to claim.

Jacobites Fail to Take Stirling Castle..

Through November and December 1745, many groups of Jacobite recruits had been arriving in Perth from various quarters, so that by the beginning of January 1746 there were, including the 800 men who came from France with Lord John Drummond, about 4,000 more troops than the Prince had in his army which had originally marched South into England. Leaving Glasgow on 3 January, Charles' immediate goal was to take the town and castle of Stirling, still held by government forces. Charles had made his way via Kilsyth to Bannockburn a few miles from Stirling, where in the house of the Jacobite Sir Hugh Paterson, he met Sir Hugh's niece, Clementina Walkinshaw, a handsome girl of 23 years. She would play a big part in the Prince's life in years to come. The Prince now had 9,000 men at his disposal, and as before, one column under Lord George Murray, which on 3 January marched to Falkirk leaving the Hanoverian forces thinking they were making for Edinburgh, which they had held since shortly after Prestonpans. Lord George returned to join the Prince on 5 January, while Lord Elcho was left to patrol the Edinburgh road with a force of cavalry, reinforcing the notion that the Jacobite army were moving on Edinburgh. As well as the 800 men who had come from France, Lord John Drummond had brought with him a quantity of sizeable artillery (16 pounders, 12 pounders and 8 pounders) which were to be used now in the seige of Stirling. They were transported from Perth to the Forth estuary, whence they were ferried across river 'with great labour and in the teeth of a squadron of frigates' of the Royal Navy. The guns arrived safely. On the 5 January, a drummer was sent into Stirling to demand the surrender of the town, now completely surrounded by the Jacobites. The garrison consisting of 500 militiamen opened fire on the poor drummer boy, who dropped his drum and ran like hell back to his lines. Next morning the Jacobite guns were set within a short distance of the town, forcing the council to think again. On 8 January the surrender of the town was signed, but not the castle, garrisoned by some regulars and militia commanded by Major-General William Blakeney. Against this the Jacobites had the expertise of a Monsieur de Gordon, a French engineer officer who came across with Lord John Drummond. Also known as the Marquis de Mirabelle, and of Scottish descent, he was said to be one of the finest engineers in France, decorated with the Order of St. Louis. But, said the Chevalier de Johnstone "He was totally destitude of judgement, discernment and common sense," and Lord George Murray stated that "He was so volatile that no one could depend on him." Mr. Mirabelle, known to the Highlanders as 'Mr. Admirable', was always drunk. The siting of the batteries and the conduct of the seige were so unsuccessful, that General Blakeney had little fear that Stirling Castle would be surrendered to the Jacobite army. The failure to take Stirling Castle was not Charles' only cause for concern. Desertion was now rife among the troops, particularly among the Murray Athollemen, the regiment of Lord George's brother Duke William of Atholl. Lord George wrote to his brother about "the scadalous desertion of your men." Since the Prince had refused to hold any more coucils, more and more he came to heed the advice of his 'friends', Murray of Broughton and Sir Thomas Sheridan. The Highland Chiefs deeply resented that they were no longer called to council, and Lord George Murray in a memorandum to the Prince pointed out that "upon any sudden emergency such as a battle or a seige, a discretionary power must be allowed to those in command." He pointed out the importance of these councils of war in the past, and that they be resumed forthwith. An indignant Prince, probably egged on by his intimates, repeated that he would have no more truck with these army councils. Ever since Derby, the pent up feelings and antagonism which had been building up between the Prince and Lord George and the chiefs were now manifestly clear. This did not bode well for the future.

No Friendly Places.

As the Prince's army passed through the towns of Southern Scotland, it was apparent to his troops that the Jacobite Cause was not the cause of these people - grim faced, silent crowds that lined their route. These people looked on the Highlanders with fear, and hoped that they would not tarry long. Where they had raised militia for the government, these men were sent well out of the way. They could not compete with an organised army, and no one wanted a battle on one's doorstep. Outwith the Highlands, the greater part of Central and Southern Scotland was Protestant, pro-Union and benefitting from the trade routes which were now open to them. They had no desire for the return of the House of Stuart, whose present claimant was the Catholic Prince Charles Edward. They were now properly represented in parliament, where their grievances could be heard. In temperament, religion and life style the Jacobite from the Highland glens spoke a differnt language and belonged to a system rooted in the distant past. Naturally he wondered about this other Scotland, where he was not welcome. Lord George Murray and Lord Elcho pressed ahead to take possession of Glasgow, while the Prince stayed at Hamilton House and there enjoyed a morning's shooting on the policies of the Duke of Hamilton, who, as a staunch Hanoverian had naturally absented himself. On 27 December (some reports give dates according to the Julian calander or the Gregorian) the Prince led his troops into the elegant and prosperous little city of Glasgow, and he himself settled into his lodgings at Shawfield House in the Trongate, which belonged to a Colonel MacDowall of Castle Semple. He would remain here for the next ten days. The people of Glasgow had never shown any enthusiasm for the Prince's Cause, and had actively resisted pressure to contribute money to his army. They had raised a militia of 500 men for King George, but at the Prince's approach this body of men had withdrawn to Edinurgh. The Glasgow citizens were noticably unfriendly to these 'wild intruders,' so much so that the majority of the Highladers were very keen to sack 'the dear little place'. This would have happened were it not for the personal intervention of Cameron of Locheil. Glasgow reluctantly provided thousands of shoes, hose, shirts and several thousnds of pounds, and in gratitude for Lochiel's actions, the bells of the city, to this day, ring out to welcome the Chief of Clan Cameron when he visits Glasgow. The Prince, during his stay in the Trongate, held informal receptions for the loyal and the curious, dining each day in public, attended and fussed over by a number of devoted Jacobite ladies. Charles pulled out the stops while in Glasgow, dressing more elegantly here than anywhere else during his campaign, wearing silk tartans and court dress. Morale within the Jacobites was to some extent restored. Parades were held in different parts of the city to proclaim James, King again. On 2 January, 1746 the Jacobite army had been re-equipped, and now rested, they were ready to move off. To entertain the large crowds following the Prince and the Jacobite army, Charles put on a review of his whole army on Glasgow Green by the banks of the River Clyde. 'With drums beating, colours flying and bagpipes playing, multitudes of people arrived from all parts, and especially the ladies.' (Captain Daniel, a volunteer from Lancashire). Though these people were against the Prince and his Cause, for now they were charmed by the sight of this colourful royal personage. Yet these same people would shout "God Save King George" as Charles' army disappeard from sight along the Stirling Road.

The Jacobite Army Crosses into Scotland

The Prince at the head of the Highland army entered Carlisle on 19 December. He was in better spirits than he had been these last few days. He had received encouraging letters from Lord Strathallan and Lord John Drummond telling him of the good state of the army at Perth and the strong expeditionary force from France that would join him before long. When the Prince's army left Carlisle the next day, he left 400 of his officers and men and their artillery to garrison the town. It was the Prince's desire that 'he keep a foothold in England.' Of course Charles no longer held any councils, because, if he had, this folly would not have been sanctioned. Thus 200 dispirited Highlanders together with Colonel John Hamilton, left in command by the Prince and Colonel Francis Townley with his Manchester Regiment were left to their fate in this 'English foothold.' They did not have to wait long to know their fate. Carlisle was faced with the huge armies of Cumberland and General Wade, and after sustained bombardment, the garrison sent a letter of capitulation to the Duke of Cumberland. "Contrary to the terms of capitulation, the Duke decided that the garrison be thrown into prisons in London. He felt that he was not obliged in honour to keep a capitulation with rebels. On 5 January, 1746 a dozen officers of the Manchester Regiment including Colonel Townley and Colonel Hamilton were hanged, drawn and quartered in London. This is the most extreme and barbarous method of execution reserved for high treason. God knows what the leaders of the 'rebellion' could expect. The heads of Colonel Townley and Colonel Hamilton were set on one of the gates of Temple Bar in London. People could rent spy-glasses at a halfpenny a time to take a look. The head of the unfortunate Colonel Towmley, or what remained of it, was still in place on a spike in the year 1772, twenty six years afterwards." (Memoirs of the Chevalier de Johnstone.) The captured Highlanders would have been transported to the 'colonies', of which those in America would soon rebel against the authority of the British Crown. On 20 December, the Jacobite army marched out of England crossing the River Esk once more into Scotland. At the suggestion of Lord George Murray, the army again was divided into two columns. Lord George took command of six battalions and travelled via Ecclefechan, Moffat through Hamilton to Glasgow The other column was commanded by the Prince, consisting of the clan regiments and most of the cavalry who marched through Annan, Dumfries, Thornhill, Douglas and Hamilton. The Prince stayed at Dumfries in a beautiful old house that later became the County Hotel. Dumfries was a strongly Hanoverian enclave, and the Highlanders knew that. They behaved very 'rudely' with the citizenry of that town, removing the shoes from everybody in sight. They also demanded £1,000 and a further quantity of shoes and took as hostages Provost Crosbie and the rich merchant Mr. Walter Riddell to force the payment of the £1,000. The Prince's army reached Thornhill and occupied Drumlanrig Castle, the fiefdom of the Duke of Queensbury whose predecessor was a major supporter of William of Orange, who defeated Charles' antecedent, King James II at the Battle of the Boyne. Later, in 1707, he was a leading player in the Act of Union with England. There would be no more Scotland - it was now a part of Great Britain. The Highlanders were billeted in Drumlanrig which they left in a sorry state. Each of these beautiful apartments were laid out with straw for bedding, they killed 40 of the Duke's sheep in the dining room and stabled several horses under the gallery. They plundered the Duke's cellars and drank all of the spirits and most of the wine, and melted down all of the pewter they found. Most satisfying for the Highlanders was the defacement of the large portrait of Williaam of Orange. It was left in tatters due to the attention paid to it by Highland claymores. Lord Elcho and Lord George Murray would go ahead with their column to take possession of Glasgow.

A Victory in Retreat.

Once the retreat was underway, there was a sea change in the attitude of the people in the towns through which the Jacobite army had recently passed. Horace Walpole had said that "No one is afraid of a rebellion that runs away." The people in these towns were now less friendly, and army stragglers were accosted and thrown into jail. The Highlanders reacted to this hostility by stealing horses, which would be comic if it were not so serious. There were Highlanders wearing no breeches, without saddle or bridle astride these horses and only a straw rope around the horse's neck. Later some entered houses for plunder. Charles wanted to disguise the fact that he was retreating, and urged Lord George Murray to have the army stay longer in these northern towns, contrary to Murray's desire to keep ahead of the pursuing English armies. 11 December the Jacobite army reached Lancaster. The Prince wanted to halt here and take on the Hanoverian forces. Lord George Murray and Mr. O'Sullivan with a guard of cavalry were sent by the Prince to reconnoitre a suitable place for battle, and having found an excellent location, they returned with this news, only to find that the Prince had changed his mind, and wished to march the next day. The Duke of Cumberland and General Wade were now closing on the Jacobite army, trying to prevent their escape into Scotland. But the Highlanders always marched at a very quick pace, and their army reached Manchester on 11 December. At this time Cumberland received notice from London that a large number of French vessels were assembled at Dunkirk with the intention of invading the South and East coasts of England. The King begged his son to return to London with his troops, along with General Wade's to face an invasion force of 6,000 French soldiers (it was said.) This gave Charles a day's advantage over his pursuers, and his army arrived in Kendal on the 15 December. The populus of Kendal had heard that the Jacobite army had suffered a serious defeat. This emboldened the Kendal men and they seriously harassed the Jacobite army to the extent that the army left Kendal and arrived at Shap, This whole area was mobilised to attack the Jacobite army, who were forced to take evasive action, travelling across the the moors pursued by an angry peasantry and county militia. On 17 December, Charles and his army crossed Shap Fell and arrived in Penrith. The enemy were now hard on their heels. As they set out on the morning of 18 December, they could see small parties of English cavalry intermittently appearing on the high ground to their rear. When confronted by Glengarry's men, they made off at a gallop. That same afternoon, a very large force of English cavalry came into sight to the south of Clifton village and drew up in two lines, 'upon an open moor, not above cannon-shot from us.' The Highlanders were occupying a number of hedges and walled fields and enclosures in and around Clifton. Those present there were the Macdonalds of Glengarry, John Roy Stewart's men, the Stewarts of Appin and Cluny's Macphersons. To confuse the enemy, Lord George had the Jacobite colours appear at different places to make the enemy think that their army was greater than it was. The Prince's most recent orders to Lord George was to continue his withdrawal without delay. After consulting with John Roy Stewart and Cluny, they took the decision to ignore Charles' orders and to say nothing of this to another soul. That night a few hours after sunset, with the moon seen from time to time between the clouds, Lord George could make out the disposition of the English troops, without their's been seen. A party of Bland's Dragoons, with their bright yellow belts, could be seen creeping along a low stone wall towards one of the enclosures. Lord George decided that he would attack on the left of Cluny's men who would take up the right. The Macphersons started to scramble through the hedge cutting through the thorn hedges with their dirks. "They went down upon their knees to the ground to cut with their dirks the thorn hedges - a necessary precaution for them who never wore breeches but only a small kilt or petticoat which falls down to the knees." (Chevalier Johnstone). As Macpherson's men negotiated their way through the hedges, the enemy openened fire with a full volley. At the shout of 'Claymore' from Lord George, Cluny charged at the head of his clan and the sudden impact of their charge completely knocked the dragoons off balance. Many of them were killed or wounded, and it was with difficulty that Cluny managed to halt his men from following the poor dragoons over across the moors, who were already under heavy fire from Lochgarry's Macdonalds. 40 of Bland's Dragoons were killed or wounded while five Highlanders were killed and a few taken prisoner. The skirmish had lasted about half an hour, but it had secured the Prince's rear, and Lord Georgr Murray felt content to continue the retreat without further trouble from the Hanoverian armies. The renowned politician, Horace Walpole, might have to eat his words that this was 'no rebellion running away.'

Derby - The End Of a Dream.

As the Prince's army passed through England, there was little support for his cause. Manchester gave some heart to the Prince. There were cheering crowds as he entered the city, Church of England ministers said prayers for him and large numbers gathered outside his lodgings to see hime dine. In addition he gained a regiment here in Manchester, the only Englishmen to join the Prince's cause. However realities had to be faced. Lord George Murray again told the Prince that the combined forces of the Hanoverian army was 30,000 that of the Jacobites only 5,000. Even taking account of the heroism of the Highlanders, continuing on this course would be their nemesis and every brave soldier in their army would be slaughtered. Promises of help from Wales or Ireland could be discounted, and the force of 4,000 that landed in Scotland from France commanded by Lord John Drummond, if true, was too far away from them to help. The Prince reminded Lord George that for the entire length of their campaign they were undefeated, and if they pressed on to London, victory was assured. Indeed, with news of the Highland army at Derby and rumours of an early French invasion, there was utter panic in London. Business came to a standstill, shopkeepers shut up shop, Jacobite posters appeared on walls, and Jacobite sympathisers collected £10,000 for the Prince. It was rumoured that King George had his yachts on standby off Tower Quay on the Thames, laden with his most precious belongings, ready to sail to the Continent. On 5 December Prince Charles awoke from a long sleep in his comfortable quarters in Exeter House Derby feeling happy, and buoyed at the prospect of being in London in two days time. Later that morning Lord George Murray spoke to the Prince asking him if had thought of what they were to do. The Prince was taken aback as he thought that they were resolved to press on to London. A Council of War was called for that day in which the chiefs reminded Charles that there had been no risings in England nor had France come to their aid, and it was now time to return to Scotland to join up with the army under Lord John Drummond. The Scots had done more than their duty, but now the sheer size of the English armies amassing against them was just too great for the small Jacobite army. The very idea of retreat was intolerable to the Prince, who said that " Rather than go back, I would wish to be twenty feet underground." The Prince heard all the arguments for retreating with growing impatience and "fell into a passion and gave most of the Gentlemen that had spoken very abusive language, and said that they had a mind to betray him." Finally the Prince agreed to go back to Scotland, but at the same time "he told them that for the future he would have no more Councils, for he would neither ask nor take their advice, that he was accountable to nobody for his actions but his Father, and he was as good as his word, for he never after advised with any body but the Irish Officers, Messers Murray and Hay and never more summonsed a council." (Chevalier Johnstone). Mounted on a black horse, the Prince left his lodgings late that morning and the Jacobite army marched out of Derby on Friday 6 June, the drums beating 'To Arms'. Lord George Murray took command of the reargaurd, surmising that here one might expect the enemy to attack. This was the end of the Prince's dreams.

Not Much Further.

While Charles was for taking the army further into England, against the wishes of his leading generals, news arrived at Carlisle that Edinburgh was once again in the hands of Hanoverian supporters, of which there were many in the city. Elcho tells that " the Justice Clerk, Lords of the Session and the Sheriffs of the Lothians had returned back to Edinburgh attended by a great number of other gentlemen. They had reassumed the government of the town and had ordered the 1000 men formally agreed upon to be levied and put under the command of the Commander in Chief in Scotland." Glasgow had raised their militia under the command of the Earls of Home and Glencairn ; Stirling, Paisley and Dumfries had raised their militias and General Campbell had returned to Inveraray to raise the Argyllshire militia. If Charles left a vacuum of control behind him in Scotland, there were many who would fill the void, just as before. No sooner had the Jacobite army left Carlisie, than the previous council was reinstated. The Jacobite army was not large, and could not satisfactorily garrison the towns which fell to them. The army pushed on south through Penrith and Kendal, towns which were for sure not Jacobite in allegiance. They cooperated in order to save themselves and their towns. On 23 November, "Lancaster made out that they intended to hold the town, upon which Lord Elcho wrote to the Mayor informing him that part of the army would be there next day and told him if there was no resistance made, no harm would be done to the town." (Elcho's memoirs). The next day (24 November) Lord George Murray and the Atholl Brigade marched into Lancaster. On the 25th the Prince and the rest of the army arrived at Lancaster, where proclamations and manifestos were read as per usual, "but the people testified no joy and seemed all against the cause." While in Lancashire, Lord George Murray contacted an acquaintance "who procured him two spies whom he dispatched, the one into Yorkshire, the other into Staffordshire" to get intelligence about the strength and location of the Hanoverian forces. They returned to say that "Marshal Wade had marched his army straight south on the London Road to Doncaster, and that there were rumours of his marching across the country to Lancashire : the other spy said that Sir John Ligonier was forming an army around Lichfield and Coventry to consist of 10,000 men, and that the Duke of Cumberland was expected every day to take the command of it." (Elcho's memoirs). 27 November the Prince marched all the way to Derby on foot at the head of a column with his guards dressed in Lowland clothes to assuage the locals' fears. The Chevalier de Johnstone relates this amusing account of when he and his regiment were encamped outside Manchester. On the evening before the Battle of Prestonpans, Johnstone applied to the Prince to raise a company which was granted, and that it be attached to the regiment of the Duke of Perth. There was in his company a sergeant named Dickson whom Johnstone had enlisted from the prisoners taken at Prestonpans, actually a young Scotsman "brave and intrepid as a lion, and much attached to my interests." (Ch. John). He told the Chevalier that on their jouney south he did not manage to recruit one single person for the Prince's army, whereas the other sergeants were much more successful. Dickson was very disappointed with the situation. Dickson asked permission of the Chevalier to go ahead of the army to Manchester, a large city of 40,000 inhabitants, to recruit men for the Prince's army. The Chevalier told Dickson his proposition was foolhardy and dangerous and would only see him taken and hanged. Dickson was ordered back to his company. With the confidence that the Chevalier had in his sergeant, he had, some time ago, given him a horse to carry his portmanteau behind him, so that it was always with the Chevalier. That evening Dickson had entered the Chevalier's lodgings and removed the portmanteau and a blunderbuss. The Chevalier was furious with his sergeant's rash behaviour, but on 28 November on his arrival in Manchester with the army, Dickson presented himself before the Chevalier with around 180 men, whom he had enrolled with the company of the Chevalier de Johnstone, a remarkable feat. It seems that the citizens of Manchester realised that the Jacobite army was a good way off, and a large crowd began to close in on our recruiting sergeant who only managed to save himself by presenting the loaded blunderbuss at them. The situation was finally resolved when hundreds of Jacobite supporters came to Dickson's assistance and dispersed the baying crowd. The Chevalier was delighted that here in Manchester, his sergeant was able to recruit 180 able bodied men for the the Prince's army. Together with other English recruits, they would be known as the Manchester Regiment. The Chavalier says that "this adventure of Dickson's occasioned a good deal of pleasantry, by the City of Manchester finding itself ludicrously taken by one sergeant,one drum and one girl."

A Journey Too Far.

In the words of the Chevalier de Johnstone, Charles was now 'entirely master of the Kingdom of Scotland.' He was elated at the Jacobite victory at Prestonpans and believed that victory was more than possible in future battles with the Hanoverian forces. His army would need to move on England without delay while the dander of his men was up. The Jacobite army were now better armed, clad and equipped, and after Prestonpans had undergone a great deal of training and drilling around the flat plains of Edinburgh. Charles was now preparing to move his army down the east coast towards Newcastle to confront General Wade's army. He was buoyed by the promise of the French and the English Jacobites bringing large forces to join him. But Charles had no idea how the defeat of their army in Scotland had galvanised the English into action. King George had returned from his native Hanover. 6,000 Dutch soldiers, 9 squadrons of cavalry, 18 regiments of the line and 4 artillery companies were all withdrawn from Flanders to take on the 'ragged, hungry rabble of Yahoos of Scotch Highlanders.' Charles and his inner circle of obsequious Irish were alone in wanting to take the fight into England to regain all three crowns of Great Britain for his father, the Old Pretender. However he would learn that his Scottish advisors, the leading army officers and importantly the clan chiefs were against an invasion of England. They made out that their sole purpose was to see Charles crowned King of Scotland, and together they would defend their realm against the English. At this point in time, the Jacobite army was 4,500 men strong, while the English could count on at least 14,000 troops, with many more available as backup. Lord George Murray and Lord Elcho were very vocal in their opposition to taking the army into England, but the decision taken in Council to back the Prince, was due to the Clan Chiefs being persuaded by Charles that they "would find many English lords on the frontiers of England, under arms, ready to join them with a considerable corps of English" (Memoirs of the Chevalier de Johnstone). The Prince agreed that confronting General Wade at Newcastle was not such a good idea. It was agreed that the army be divided in two. The first column commanded by the Prince and Lord George Murray was made up mainly of Highlanders and half the cavalry consisting of the newly raised regiments of Lord Kilmarnock and Lord Pitsligo. The Prince's column, after feinting towards Newcastle, passed through Kelso and Jedburgh and then along Liddesdale, finally crossing the River Esk into Cumberland and England. The second column, led by the Dukes of Atholl and Perth was made up of the Atholl Brigade, foot regiments of the Duke of Perth and the cavalry of Lord Elcho and Lord Balermino. They travelled via Moffat and Lockerbie to Cumberland where both armies would join forces again. They had departed Dalkeith on 4 November and were in England by the 9 November. This was the first time the Jacobites had entered England, and as they did so, the Highlanders all drew their swords and turned around to face Scotland again. The army camped for the night a few miles distant from Carlisle. After a few days of cannon fire from the Carlisle castle garrison the Jacobite army dug in around the city and mounted cannon around the trenches. The mayor and aldermen of Carlisle finally agreed to capitulate on 15 November, handing over the city keys to the Prince. The 'impregnable' castle garrison was surrendered without a fight, and Colonel Durand and his officers led out their men with their drums beating, and carrying their arms which they lay down on the ground in front of the Duke of Perth. There was one issue within the Jacobite army which stemmed from the falsehoods that the Prince's Secretary, Murray of Broughton had spoken against Lord George Murray to the Prince back at Perth. Since then, the Prince seemed to favour the Duke of Perth in issuing orders , and this over the head of Lord George Murray, who was the Senior General. In accepting the signed order of capitulation from the people of Carlisle, it was the Duke of Perth, a Catholic, who was chosen by the Prince. Carlisle was a staunchly Protestant city, and it would have eased the situation had Lord George (a Protestant) been there to accept the surrender. Because of this, Murray asked the Prince to be relieved of his commission (not for the first time) which the Prince accepted. This was exactly what Secretary Murray of Broughton wanted. When the army heard of this, they delivered a petition to the Prince asking that Lord George be reinstated, and "begging that the Prince should discharge all Roman Catholics from his Council because it might be a handle for his enemies to make use of against him, as they had lately done in newspapers where they said all his Councils were directed by Roman Catholics. In one paper they compared Sir Thomas Sheridan, a close advisor to Charles, to Father Peter his grandfather's confidant (King James II)." (The words of Lord Elcho, a Protestant). Lord George Murray resumed his commission as Senior Lieutenant General, " which entirely defeated Secretary Murray's schemes." ( Lord Elcho ). The Prince while still at Carlisle learned that Marshal Wade had moved with his army to Hexham on the 17 November, but due to the bad condition of the roads, he had returned to Newcastle. I don't think he was itching for a fight ( says Neil.)

A Letter to Mary Grant of the "Inverness Courant".

Dear Mary Grant, I hope that you are well and that the Courant is flourishing. From the other journals that we have seen this last while and the reports we have of newspapers from further afield, I have no doubt that you and the Inverness Courant are in very good health, and have acquired a reputation far beyond your humble beginnings, and in fact beyond your wildest dreams. You have obviously obtained our reports so far on the Jacobite insurrection, and we see that you have been making these reports available to other titles, for a goodly price, I hope. Somehow we obtained copies of the following newspapers, which all carry our reports. These are the Edinburgh Evening Courant, the London Daily Courant and the Belfast News Letter. We have reliable information that the London Gazette has been reporting present events in Scotland. Mary, we three have acquired a little fame, and perhaps we may be written into the margins of history. These last six weeks have amazed us, in the things we have seen, but we were also forced to witness violence and barbarity beyond anything we could have imagined. I will return to these matters later. At this point I should like to mention SIR JOHN MURRAY OF BROUGHTON who knew the Prince in Rome and Paris and who travelled between France and Britain informing and cajoling Jacobite sympathisers to prepare for the return of the Stuarts. Murray is Secretary to the Prince, who has a high regard for him. On hearing that the Prince had landed at Arisaig, Murray immediately went to join him. Lord Elcho, who despises 'Secretary Murray', informed us of the following. Murray has great influence over most of the Prince's affairs including the administration of his finances and all his private correspondence. Murray of Broughton, said Elcho, wanted to take over 'military affairs' and become the Prince's chief advisor in such matters. But Lord George Murray had been appointed Lieutenant-General of the army by Charles and it was he who was in command of the Jacobite army. Lord George would not take orders from Secretary Murray, who had never been a soldier. As far back as Perth, Secretary Murray was bad-mouthing Lord George, telling the Prince that Lord George had taken the oath of allegiance to King George, and that he was a traitor and ideally placed to betray the Cause. His hope was that the Duke of Perth would be put in command, someone that Secretary Murray knew could be manipulated to do the Secretary's bidding. For ever after, this was to sour relations between Lord George Murray and the Prince, who always suspected his motives, despite Murray being held in the highest regard by the whole Army. It didn't help that Lord George was a Protestant (Scottish Episcopalian) and that the Duke of Perth was Catholic. Murray like Lord Elcho were not part of the Catholic cabal which surrounded the Prince. Edinburgh fell to the Jacobites without a shot being fired, and in a manner which was pure farce (covered in a recent report to you). As the Prince and his retinue proceeded along the streets to Holyrood Palace, there was much cheering, but it did not ring true. The citizens were not happy to see the Prince and his army in Edinburgh, and in truth they were afraid. A sceptical eyewitness wrote that "The populace of a great city who huzza for anything that brings them together, will huzza for sure." Ladies in the windows became hoarse with their cheering, as they waved their white handkerchiefs in honour of the day. Many others showed their dislike by a stubborn silence. We have dealt with the battle at Prestonpans in a recent report to you, but there are a few comments I would like to add concerning that affair. As ingenus of warfare, it must be said that we found the sights and sounds of battle overwhelming. You may read about a battle, but until you witness the violence and barbarity you can not imagine how dreadful were the scenes we witnessed. The English soldiers were terrified of the Highlanders. They threw away there weapons with the aim of escaping, but in doing so were cut down or captured by the swift of foot Highlanders. These were the same English soldiers who had been at Dettingen and Fontenoy and until this battle were justly reckoned to be among the best in Europe. The English army was thrown into confusion from the very outset and could not easily escape the ditches and enclosures in which they were trapped. The carnage that ensued was terrible. This must give the government in London something to think about. They will now treat the Jacobite Army with more respect, and not as a rabble of untrained yokels from the wild north of the kingdom.

Battle Is Finally Joined at Prestonpans

It was the opinion of many Jacobites that General Cope had various opportunities of engaging in battle, but until now his army would only approach the Prince's army at a safe distance, and for reasons best known to Cope, it would withdraw and make off in some other direction. It was said that, using these tactics, Cope could monitor the strength of Charles' army, and its progress southwards. A more informed view would be that Cope had no intention of doing battle with an army of Highlanders in the hills and glens, where they were unbeatable. The two armies were now a few furlongs apart in the Lothians, where the topology of the site must surely be more to the liking of Cope's soldiers. Neil and Donald caught sight of the Chevalier Johnstone resting under a large oak tree beside his horse. He was a colourful character who , born in Edinburgh, had spent many years in France. His military training in France required him to study the great generals of old. He could easily recount long passages (often in Latin)of strategy, tactics or the philosophy of war credited to generals, such as Maherbal( the brother of The Carthaginian Hannibal), Suntse, a Chinese general, Polybius, the Roman historian, Montesquieu, Descartes etc. On approaching the Chevalier, they were addressed as "Mes Amis" and offered a share in his lunch of beef, bread and red wine. They presented their credentials as reporters which amused the Chevalier. Neil and Donald did mention the delay there had been in joining battle, and asked the Chevalier Johnstone for his opinion. The Chevalier de Johnstone immediately spoke : " Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator (280-203 BC) was the Roman Dictator and General during the Second Punic War against Hannibal and his vast Carthaginian army of 50,000. The word 'cunctator' is the Latin for 'delayer', and this agnomen (cunctator) was scathingly used by the senate back in Rome for Fabius seemingly never engaging directly in battle with Hannibal. But Quintus Fabius knew what he was about. His tactic was to avoid battle with Hannibal directly, but to target his supply lines. Together with a comprehensive scorched earth policy denying grain to Hannibal's soldiers, this was a war of attrition that exhausted the Carthaginian army. To this day, Fabius Cunctator is credited as the 'father' of guerrilla warfare. He kept Hannibal busy and away from Rome. In contrast, in 217 BC, a later Roman General, Gaius Flaminius, was lured into open battle by Hannibal at Lake Trasimene where the Carthaginian army annihilated the Roman legions. In describing the forthcoming battle, we will quote from the "Memoirs of the Chevalier de Johnstone" and those "Memoirs" of Lord Elcho who were both there on that day. On 20 September, the army of General Cope consisting of 4000 regular troops had made their way from Haddington and Cope eventually drew up his army on Birsley Brae between Tranent and Prestonpans on the Forth estuary. The position adopted by Cope was skillfully chosen, "fortified by nature" and in the opinion of the Jacobites, inaccssible on all sides. On their right, Cope's army had two enclosures surrounded by high stone walls. In front of him, Cope had another enclosure surrounded by a deep ditch twelve feet broad and full of marshy water. On his left he had a morass ( marsh/bog ) which terminated in a very deep pond and behind him the sea. This was a truly impregnable position which Cope had adopted for his army, and one which the Jacobite leaders realised that, as things stood, there was no means of attacking Cope without being hewn to pieces. Around nightfall a man called Henderson, the owner of the morass and a Jacobite sympathiser, came to see the Prince to tell him that there was a way through the morass which he used daily while shooting game. The Prince sent a party to find this passage and was relieved to know that it could be traversed by his troops but only in single file. Since Cope assumed that no one could cross this morass, he neglected to place guards there. During the night and in strict silence the Highlanders passed across the morass without alerting the enemy. Now on firm ground they reformed their ranks with the column extending along the sea shore. At first light Cope thought that the Jacobite first line which was in battle order and about 200 yards in front of him was a line of bushes. These 'bushes' were in fact the front line of 1200 men of the Jacobite army, behind which was the second line of those that were badly armed. Mr. Macgregor, a Captain in the Duke of Perth's regiment improvised by having well-sharpened scythes attached to the ends of eight foot poles, the ends of the scythes pointed like lances. They were in fact the 'most murderous of weapons'. Lord George Murray, at the head of the first line, did not leave the English any time to recover from their surprise. He advanced quickly allowing Cope little time to get his army in battle order. The Highlanders, shouting their clan war cries, attacked the enemy with broadswords in hand. The Highlanders had a fear of horses in battle, but had been taught to 'deal their sword strokes on the noses of the horses without attacking the horsemen.' These poor horses were in great pain, and bolted in all direction putting the whole squadron in total disarray. The English cavalry were now in disorder, which panicked Cope's infantry. The Macgregor company with their 'pikes' made the most dreadful carnage of horses and horsemen. "The Highlanders made a slaughter of the English, principally at the entry of the road between the two enclosures which was blocked by fleeing English soldiers, and also along the enclosures themselves, where they were killed without difficulty as they clambered over the walls, making for the road. The strength of the English camp ironically proved to be the source of their destruction. The field of battle was a spectacle of horrors, strewn with arms, legs, mutilated corpses, all the result of sword strokes". The enemy had 1300 men killed and 1500 prisoners taken. Various pieces of cannon, £2500 in the military chest and many colours and standards were taken after the battle. Lord Elcho in his "Memoirs" says that 500 were killed, 900 wounded and 1400 taken prisoner. Modern assessment would suggest that thes numbers ( de Johnstone and Elcho) are exaggerated. General John Cope, wearing a plain coat and a Jacobite white cockade (rosette) on a borrowed hat, made his escape on horse, heading for England. The battle called Gladsmuir or more generally Prestonpans was fought on the 21 September, 1745 and was over in less than quarter of an hour. This defeat of a professional army by unruly Highlanders was of great concern to the Government in London. The Jacobite Army would have to be taken very seriously from hereon in.

Edinburgh Falls to the Jacobite Army

General John Cope got word that the Jacobite Army was heading for Edinburgh. He left Inverness bound for Aberdeen, where ships were waiting to transport him and his troops to Dunbar on 17 September 1745. He was joined there by two regiments of dragoons under Brigadier Fowkes and many of the high and mighty of Edinburgh, particularly Lord Home, Lord Napier and some more of the capital's elite, but as Elcho say in his "Memoirs", "they did not all remain with him when the prospect of an Engagement (battle) drew nigh." The Prince in a letter to the bailies of Edinburgh said that if they were to capitulate, no harm would come to any of the city's people nor to their property. Various groups of magistrates came and went from the city to meet Charles hoping to extend the deadline of the Prince's ultimatum (to attack Edinburgh), in the hope that Cope's army, a day's march away at Dunbar, would come to their rescue. After three such attempts at "negotiation", the Prince knew 'he was being trifled with' and had 500 Camerons secreted near the West Port to force open the gates, but ironically the coach carrying the last group of magistrates back to the city via the West Port were a little tardy in closing the gates and this allowed Locheil's men to rush in, to the consternation of its citizenry. The local militia of about 1000 untrained men, at the urging of their wives, went to The Csstle Armoury to hand back their weapons. Some say that they came to this decision on seeing and hearing a ragged man on a grey horse proclaim that the Prince had 16,000 Highlanders waiting nearby at Duddingston. On 16 September, Lord Elcho arrived in Edinburgh to join the Prince, and donated 1500 guineas to the Jacobite war chest. Edinbugh had been taken without firing a shot, and 1000 stands of arms had been seized, which pleased the Prince and his army, as they were in great need of them. The Jacobite Army entered Edinburgh on 16 September with Lorg Strathallan leading on horse, and behind him the Prince on horseback flanked by Lord Elcho on his left and the Duke of Perth on the right, followed by Lord George Murray at the head of a column of infantry. Elcho says that " the army was met by vast multitudes of people, who by their repeated shouts and 'huzzas' expressed a great deal of joy to see the Prince." The Prince occupied the Gallery and the Duke of Hamilton's apartments ( vacated by that Government stalward) within the Royal Palace of Holyrood. It was from here he made the speech proclaiming his father King. The Prince was the man of the moment and entertained the prominent and fashionable personages of that time, including the Earl of Kelly, Lord Balermino, Hepburn of Keith, Lockart of Carnwath, Sir David Murray (and several other gentlemen of distinction). "But," says Elcho, "not one of that mob who were so fond of seeing him ever asked to enlist in his service, and when he marched to fight Cope he had not one of them in his army." At night various ladies of fashion came to meet the Prince and to kiss his hand. He was cool towards them, not having much experience of women's company, and was often embarrassed in their midst. On the morning of the 18 September, the Prince sent Lord Elcho to the City Magistrates with a list of demands "under pain of military execution if not complied with." viz. 1000 tents, 2000 targes (shields), 6000 pairs of shoes and 6000 canteens. The magistrates readily agreed to all their demand, and workmen were set to work on this vast order toute suite. They figured that when the Jacobite Army left town to meet General Cope, they would order the workmen to cease immediately. They did not take account of a very overhung Highlander who was left behind by his comrades who left Edinburgh the night before. Alone and staggering a little he was confronted by some people and "asked why he was not with the rest of the Highlandmen. The fellow said that there were 300 more Highlanders in town lurking in cellars." (Elcho's Memoirs). This piece of quick thinking ( not so inebriated !) had the magistrates believe this story and they restarted the work on the tents, shoes etc,

Protagonists of the Jacobite Army ( 1745-1746 )

The Chevalier de Johnstone (see later) relates in his "Memoirs" that he was aide-de-camp to LORD GEORGE MURRAY, and from extracts of these Memoirs he seems to give a fairly balanced view of the man he knew so well. You may recall that Murray had taken part in previous uprisings (1715,1719)and like others, he spent some time in exile in France, before he was pardoned and returned to Scotland. Johnstone says of Murray " Lord George Murray was Lieutenant-General and had charge of the entire Jacobite army. He had a natural genius for war, and with his study of military art, was truly one of the greatest generals in Europe." This may be an exaggeration as Murray never had much in the way of battle field experience. Johnstone continues " He was tall, robust and brave and was the ideal man to lead the Highland clansmen in the only manoeuvre they knew, rushing the enemy with targe and sword as soon as they came in sight of them." In truth, there was none in the high command who would countermand an order from him, except the Prince on occasions. "He was not without his faults. fierce, haughty and proud, he desired always to dictate eveything by himself, and knowing none his equal, he did not wish to receive their advice." He disliked the Irish contingent, from which the Prince invariably sought advice, nor "could he derive any enlightenment from the Irish subaltern officers, with the exception of M. Sullivan. Subalterns' military knowledge consisted generally in knowing how to mount and relieve guard." An able general he may have been, but he was a difficult and irascible person to engage with. After his pardon by the Hanovarian authorities, Lord George had led a blameless political life, and seemed to have forgotten his Jacobite past. He was seen to have become an adherent of the House of Hanover. He had recently in a letter to someone, referred to Prince Charles as the "Young Pretender", something no Jacobite would ever say. As Deputy Sheriff for Perthshire (a government appointment) and only days before, he had visited General Cope to discuss provision of food and transport horses for Cope's army, then at Crieff. Deep down, Lord George Murray was always a Jacobite, so, in this sudden turn about renouncing his allegiance to King George, the decision to join Charles' army at Perth was not an easy decision for this 51 year old man to take. His wife viewed his decision with dismay. In a letter to his brother, James, Duke of Atholl, he said " My Life, my Fortune and the Happiness of my wife and children are all at stake (and the chances are against me),and yet a principle of (what seems to me) Honour and my Duty to King and Country outweighs everything." Such words seem to have been spoken by a man who felt trapped between accepting the status quo of peace under King George, and joining the Jacobites, as the Atholl Murrays had always done. His heart won over his head, but his head told him that this was an ill-fated venture. Murray was a pragmatist who knew the ultimate fate of this small army, whose demise he could foresee. JAMES DRUMMOND, 3rd titular Duke of Perth was, along with Lord George Murray, the other Lieutenant-General of the Jacobite army. He was brought up in Drummond Castle by his mother until his father's death, after which she took James and his younger brother to France to receive a Catholic education at Douai and Paris. Reaching manhood he returned to Scotland, but his father's estates were confiscated. He interested himself in agriculture and manufacturing. In July 1745, the authorities intended to arrest him as a precautionary measure, but he escaped to join Charles Edward Stuart at Perth. A highlight of his career was the manner in which he conducted the successful siege of Carlisle, actually ignoring the orders of Lord George Murray, who resigned in high dudgeon, only to sign on again ! The Duke of Perth was not at the Battle of Falkirk as he was left to continue the Siege of Stirling. He was very popular for the way he took Lord Loudon's camp by surprise at the Dornoch Firth. He and his men captured few prisoners, but came into possession of a great deal of booty. At Culloden he commanded the Jacobite left wing. made up of the various Macdonald clans who historically occupied the right of the line. Their resentment was such that they refused to move or fight, and many of them left the field of battle entirely. After Culloden he escaped to France on a French ship, but he died on board and his body was committed to the deep on 13 May 1746. His brother, John Drummond, also fought for the Jacobites in 1745-46 THE CHEVALIER DE JOHNSTONE (1719-1800) James Johnstone was born in Edinburgh, the son of a well-connected merchant, with Jacobite sympathies. He was swept up in the excitement caused by the arrival of Charles Stuart in Scotland, and joined the Jacobite army in Perth - He was 26 years old. He was appointed aide-de-camp to the Prince and Lord George Murray - a busy man. He did not distinguish himself at the Battle of Culloden, where he fought timidly and escaped the field with those around him. But in doing so, he wrestled with another man, and with the help of a Cameron friend took his horse from him, galloping off, leaving that man to his fate. He escaped to Holland and later served with the French in Canada in various theatres. He was eventually aide-de-camp to General Montcalm. He wrote about his experieces in the Jacobite Rising and his time with the French in Canada. Presumably it was the French who gave James Johnstone from Edinburgh the grand appellation of "Chevalier de James Johnstone." LORD ELCHO, David Wemyss (1721-1787) was a Scottish Episcopal peer and Jacobite officer, whose father was the 5th Earl of Wemyss, and his mother was the daughter of Colonel Francis Charteris (from of a rich family.) He was a poor student at Eton and the military academy at Angers, France. Fellow students said he could be violent at times. While in Rome (1740-41) he met James Stuart ("The Old Pretender") and Charles Edward Stuart ("The Young Pretender") whom he tried to dissuade from invading Britain unless he could raise a force of 30,000 men and a great deal of money. Lord Elcho was not impressed with the young prince. A few years later, when the army of Charles Stuart reached Edinburgh, Elcho finally joined the Jacobite Army in September, 1745, after a great deal of soul searching. He became an aide-de-camp to Prince Charles and Lord George Murray and was invited to join the Jacobite Council. He had friends in high places. He fought at Prestonpans,Falkirk and Culloden and after the Jacobite's final defeat, he escaped to France aboard the frigate, Le Mars, in May, 1746. All his lands and titles were forfeited, but he served in the French army of Louis XV and died in Paris in 1787, aged 65. Lord Elcho was an able and fearless soldier who gave no quarter. (He was brutal to the enemy, especially at Prestonpans). He detested Charles' coterie of Irish advisors, and in his "Memoirs" had a poor opinion of Charles Stuart. It was said that as Prince Charles left the battle fieled of Culloden, Elcho was said to shout "There you go, for a damned cowardly Italian." This is highly unlikely as Lord Elcho accompanied the Prince all the way to Arisaig, where they hoped a French vessel was waiting to take them to France.

Charles' Army Continue South Unhindered.

The Jacobite army arrived at Blair Atholl on 31 August to find that James, the present Duke of Atholl had left the castle over a week earlier in the care of Mr. Bissat, the factor to Duke James. This was to show that he would have no truck with the Jacobites, as his older brother Duke William had in previous Jacobite risings, and for which he was 'attainded', forcing him into exile in France for the last 30 years. The factor Mr. Bissat was not exactly complimentary about the Prince and the Jacobite army. Of the Prince he said that "He seemed to be good natured, but I do not think that he has very much in him" Of the Seven Men of Moidart, still sticking close to he Prince, Bissat remarked that they " were old useless fellows as ever I saw." Of the Highland army, he said that the Highlander amounted to only 2000, of which "two thirds are the poorest naked like creatures imaginable and indifferently armed with less than one half of the guns capable of firing. Some of them have guns without swords, and some have swords without guns." I don't think that Mr. Bissat had anything good to say about this Highland army, especially since the army stayed at Blair for seven days during which they lived well off the land. Old Duke William did not manage to raise many of the Atholl men for the Prince's army, even though, as their old duke, he was well liked and respected in these parts. But one man who had just arrived at Blair was the Gaelic poet and soldier of fortune, Colonel John Roy Stewart from Strathspey, once Quartermaster of the Scots Greys, and later in service with the French army. Charles knew him from France to be a very flamboyant officer, who "always went very gay." Charles formed a high opinion of John Roy's military successes and immediately sent him on a mission to Lord Lovat and to raise troops from among Clan Grant. Neil and Donald thought the Blair Atholl factor, Mr.Bissat, a 'soor-faced and carnapcious fellow,' but entre les deux, they could understand how galling it must have been to be left to contend with thousands of ravenous Highlanders, with His Grace nowhere to be seen. They also agreed with Bissat that the Jacobite army was in poor shape and badly armed. The Dalmore lads always spoke in Gaelic to the Highland men who were at times quite forthright in their views. Some insisted that unless they did battle with the Redcoats, and pretty soon, they would be going home for the harvest. An update of the Jacobite's progress was sent to Miss Grant in Inverness and appeared in a separate supplement of the Courant. The major British papers were given access to the 'Dalmore Reports' always a few days later and for a goodly price. The information in these reports was eagerly digested by the cognoscenti, but they struck awe in those, especially in the large cities, who followed the Hanovarian line. Mr Bisset was delighted to see the Prince and his army (and the old Duke William) leave Blair Atholl heading for Dunkeld, where King James was proclaimed King. When Charles arrived in Dunkeld, he took up residence there in Dunkeld House, which happened to be another house belonging to the Dukes of Atholl. As it happened, Duke James had been staying there (away from Blair and these Highlanders), but at the approach of the Jacobites (again) he had left Dunkeld, possibly back to Blair Castle ! The Jacobite army left Dunkeld on 4 September on their way to Perth, and that evening the Prince entered the City of Perth at the head of his troops, wearing his favourite tartan suit, trimmed with gold lace. As he and his troops marched through Perth, the Prince was happy with the enthusiastic welcome of the crowds of onlookers. Charles was quartered for some time in Perth at an inn, now called the Salutation Hotel. He would remain in Perth for the next week, where he would be joined by certain important personages, none more famous nor controversial that Lord George Murray, the younger brother of the 'two' Dukes of Atholl, and recognised as a most able and experienced military commander.

The Jacobite Army Moves Down Through Scotland.

The newly raised Jacobite army ( about 1600 to 1800 strong) remained in Glenfinnan for two more days (August 20,21) before moving off, reaching Kinlocheil, from where Charles sent out a large number of letters to the supporters of the Cause throughout Scotland, asking for money and arms. During the last two weeks Neil and Donald had cultivated the company of the young Macdonald officer who had kept them informed of matters in the Jacobite camp. They rode beside young Seamus Macdonald from Keppoch in the van of a large body of Highlanders. It was while resting at Kinlocheil that Seamus shared this hardly believable piece of information. Seamus : "Last evening while the Prince was at Kinlocheil, he was shown a proclamation of the London Government offering £30,000 for his person, dead or alive. This was something entirely new for a king to offer a reward for the capture of his royal cousin. Charles felt that this was beneath contempt." Donald : " This is a huge amount of money, which shows how serious the government is to capture the Prince and crush the rebellion ." Neil : "Seamus a' bhalaich (Gael. 'lad'), one could buy the Island of Lewis three times over for that money." Seamus : "Can you see anyone in the Highlands claiming that reward, and staying around to enjoy it?" While still at Kinlocheil, Charles received word that General Cope was heading for Fort Augustus. This pleased the Highlander mightily, as they were frustrated that they had not yet joined battle with the 'English'. On reaching Invergarry on Loch Ness side, the Prince received some more reinforcements, where he was joined by 260 Stewarts of Appin, and further groups of Macdonalds from Knoydart and Morar, who impressed the Prince with their handsome appearance, but probably more by the fact they were completely armed. And skulking nearby was an emissary from Fraser, Lord Lovat, probably the most two-faced and duplicitous wretch in the Highlands. Seamus Macdonald : " Lovat has just told the Prince that because of his old age and infirmities, he would not be able to serve him in person, although he wished the Prince well. The Lovat man, Fraser of Gortleg, reminded the Prince that during a previous campaign, the Prince's father King James had issued two commisions, one making Lovat 'Lord Lovat' or 'Lord Beaufort', the other appointing him Lord-Lieutenant of Inverness-shire. Charles said he would give his requests serious consideration. But the strangest of Lovat's requests was that the Prince authorise the murder of Lord President Forbes ( as one does). Forbes of Culloden was 'a near neighbour' of Lovat, a staunch Hanoverian and since 1737 Lord Advocate of the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh. And to cap it all, Lovat was advising the Prince to take his army north to Inverness, where waiting there to join him were the Frasers (but not old Lovat himself),the Macleods, the Macdonalds of Sleat and the Mackenzies. These last three clans had declared early on that they would not join the Prince's Cause." Neil : " Who in the hell is this man ? He is deranged and certainly talks through his arse.. Why would Prince Charles have any dealings with this man ? " On August 27, Charles left Invergarry for Aberchalder, and on this march he wore Highland dress for the first time since landing, which delighted his Highland men. At the end of this march he picked up more recruits, 400 extra Macdonalds from Glengarry and 120 Glencoe Macdonalds. However, on the debit side, a number of Keppoch' Macdonalds who were granted a day's leave of absence, chose to leave permanently and desert. It began to look as if the two armies were 'dancing round each other' keeping a distance from one another.. The Government army under Cope was certainly averse to engaging in battle with the Highlanders, who were a formidable force in the mountains and glens, the playgrounds of their youth. Even when scouting parties were sent out to find the Hanoverian forces, none were seen. In council, Charles decided or was persuaded that while Cope was up north near Inverness, the Jacobite army should leave immediately for the Lowlands, now entirely unprotected. On August 29 and 30, Charles and his army rested at Dalwhinnie and later at Dalnacardoch, which is near Blair Atholl. It looked as if Charles might have a clear run on his march south.